[00:00:04]
>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO OUR PUBLIC BOND FORUM.
[A. CALL TO ORDER]
WE ARE OFFICIALLY CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:03 PM.TODAY IS TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH.
WE HAVE ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RAUL VELAR.
WE WILL GET STARTED OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR PRESENTATION.
[B. INFORMATION]
IT LOOKS LIKE TIM SAVOY IS GOING TO START US OFF.THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. WRIGHT.
LET ME GET DR. WRIGHT AND MAX CLEAVER TO JOIN ME.
[NOISE] WE'RE ALL GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
BUT JUST A QUICK, WE'RE REALLY HERE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC.
JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS IF YOU WILL. LET'S SEE.
CAN I GET MY CLICKER TO WORK? LET'S GO. THERE WE GO.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, DO WE HAVE ANY OF THE CARDS OUTSTANDING? ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK AND SIGN UP? WE HAVE, LET'S SEE, FOUR SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP.
[INAUDIBLE] FOR OUR FOLKS THAT'LL BE WATCHING ONLINE EITHER NOW LIVE OR ON THE RECORDING, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN ELECTRONIC "FEEDBACK" BUTTON ON OUR BOND PAGE.
YOU CAN FILL OUT A FORM THERE IF YOU WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING.
THIS WAS TO CHECK OFF IF YOU WANTED TO SPEAK OR NOT SPEAK.
I THINK ALL OF OUR FOLKS HAVE CHECKED OFF TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
REAL QUICK, AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOND PROCESS IN HAYS CISD.
THAT'S THE BASIC GIST OF IT, AND THAT'S EVERYONE; TAXPAYERS, AND STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND STAFF.
THEN THE BOARD HAS APPOINTED A FACILITIES AND BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
THAT IS A GROUP OF CITIZENS THAT THEY'RE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD.
THE COMMUNITY SENDS IDEAS, FEEDBACK, AND CONCERNS YEAR-ROUND TO THAT FACILITIES AND BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE VETS EVERYTHING AND LOOKS AT IT FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE.
THEN WHAT THEY DO IS, THEY DEVELOP A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY WILL SEND TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THAT RECOMMENDATION IS THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE NEEDS THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS IN NEED OF AT A CERTAIN TIME.
THAT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER, WHICH LEADS US TO HEAR WHERE THAT PROPOSAL IS PRESENTED IN THE PUBLIC FORUM SPACE.
THIS GIVES THE COMMUNITY AND ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN OTHER CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THE PROPOSAL BEFORE ANYTHING GETS LOCKED IN, SHOULD THE BOARD DECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO GO OUT FOR A BOND ELECTION.
BUT IF THE BOARD DOES DECIDE TO DO SO, THEY'LL TAKE INFORMATION BOTH FROM THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND THE PUBLIC FORUMS. THEY WILL PUT IT ON AN ELECTION BALLOT, AND THEN THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A DECISION.
THE BOND PROCESS IN HAYS CISD DOES INDEED START WITH THE COMMUNITY VIA SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS OF CITIZENS THAT ARE APPOINTED TO THAT FIRST BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, AND THEN IT ULTIMATELY GOES BACK TO THE VOTERS.
NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE DISTRICT UNLESS THE VOTERS SAY IT DOES. THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE.
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE MAKE IT VERY TRANSPARENT AND WE PUT EVERYTHING THAT THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE LOOKS AT ON THE WEB, ALL OF THE NUMBERS IN THE DATA.
I USED TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE PUT EVERYTHING ON THERE, BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TO PUT ACTUAL DETAILED BLUEPRINTS BEHIND THE WALL, BECAUSE THAT'S NOW A SECURITY SAFETY ISSUE.
YOU DON'T WANT ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE NEFARIOUS IDEAS KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE ALL OF THE DETAILED BLUEPRINTS ON PROPOSED BUILDINGS MIGHT BE, ENTRANCES AND EXITS, AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT THOSE WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR A RECORD REQUEST IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE IT.
THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION LIST.
NOW IMAGINE, THIS IS FLUID AND WE DO HAVE PRINTED VERSIONS OF IT FOR EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE IF YOU HAVE I.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SECURITY ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE POSTPONED LIST IF YOU WILL.
THAT'S BASICALLY BECAUSE AT THIS TIME THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO BE
[00:05:01]
LOOKING AT SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY IN DETAIL.WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO MAYBE WAIT ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO DETERMINE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO DO A CERTAIN THING.
ANYWAY, WE JUST WENT OVER ALL OF OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY PROCESSES TO BE AN ENLIGHTENMENT WITH WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH PROJECT LIST BECAUSE THERE'S A CHANCE SOME OF THESE, I WON'T DO A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE MAY NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO A FINAL BOND.
BUT I'LL JUST RUN SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
ONE OF THE BIG PROJECTS IS AN ELEMENTARY 17 CONSTRUCTION THAT WOULD ADDRESS GROWTH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING A HIGH SCHOOL CAPACITY, AND THAT'S IN A LONG RANGE PLAN.
A BLENDED ALSO IN WITH THE POSSIBILITY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE AND MAYBE NEARER FUTURE DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS GO WITH THE ECONOMY.
HAVING A FOURTH COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL AT SOME POINT DOWN THE LINE, THAT IS NOT ON THIS BOND, BUT THE BEGINNING TO EXPAND SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CAPACITY IS ON THERE.
SAFETY AND SECURITY ITEMS ARE ON HERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'LL SEE SOME ON THE BOTTOM THAT AREN'T THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE ITEMS AND REHABILITATION ITEMS, GENERAL REPLACEMENT, CAPITAL EXPENSE REPLACEMENT CYCLE ITEMS. THERE'S SOME TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT ARE IN HERE, AND WE HAVE THE MULTIPURPOSE PAVILIONS THAT ARE ON HERE.
ATHLETICS AND FINE ARTS IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS AS IT STANDS NOW.
BUT THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THIS PART OF THE PROCESS.
THE BOARD IS LISTENING TO THE RECOMMENDATION AND FOLKS WHO ARE BRINGING COMMENTS AND IDEAS AT THESE PUBLIC FORUMS AS WELL AS ONLINE.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER OUR PUBLIC FORUMS THIS WEEK IS THE BOARD WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO DO A BOND.
IF SO WHAT'S THE FINAL PROJECT LIST? WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF EACH PROJECT? THE FINAL ESTIMATED COST PER PROJECT? THEN THEY WILL ALSO HAVE TO DEFINE HOW THE PROJECTS WILL LINE UP ON A BALLOT IN TERMS OF WHICH PROPOSITIONS AND HOW MANY PROPOSITIONS.
THERE ARE SOME STATE LAWS IN EFFECT.
THEY REQUIRE CERTAIN THINGS TO BE OUT AS SEPARATE PROPOSITIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, TECHNOLOGY AND SO THAT'LL HAVE TO MESH WITH THE LAWYERS SAY, IT CAN BE DONE.
THEN THEY'LL CONSIDER WHETHER TO ADOPT A BOND ELECTION ORDER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
THIS PROCESS RIGHT HERE WILL OCCUR FEBRUARY 6, 2023 AT A SPECIAL BOARD WORKSHOP ON THAT, AND IT'LL BE RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM AS WELL.
I DON'T HAVE THE TIME RIGHT NOW, I SUSPECT IT'LL BE 5:00, 5:30, OR 6:00 SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
BUT THAT'LL BE POSTED ON OUR WEB.
THE STATUTORY DEADLINE IN ORDER FOR THE BOARD TO CALL FOR A MAY 6, 2023 ELECTION IS GOING TO BE FEBRUARY 17TH.
IF THE BOARD DOESN'T CALL FOR ONE BEFORE THEN, THEN IT WON'T BE ONE ON THE MAY 6 BALLOT.
ALL OF THE MATERIAL AGAIN IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
THERE'S THE WEB ADDRESS AND YOU WANT TO HIT THE "BOND TALK" BUTTON IF YOU WANT TO ADD IN SOME THOUGHTS.
EVEN IF YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT, YOU CAN ALSO PUT IN SOME STUFF ON BOND TALK ONLINE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY.
THAT'S OUR SHORT PRESENTATION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY HERE FOR US TO TALK, WE'RE HERE TO HEAR YOU.
I WILL SAY THIS, THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A CALL BOARD MEETING, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT RULES FOR OPEN MEETINGS THAT HAVE TO BE IN EFFECT.
ONCE WE GET TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION, PRESIDENT PETREA IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT.
THERE MIGHT BE A TIME LIMIT THAT'S IMPOSED ON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF AGENDA, WHETHER IT'S AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA OR NOT.
BUT ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATORS HERE, AND I SEE WE HAVE OUR BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REPRESENTED HERE. WE'RE COMMITTED.
IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME ITEMS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS OR QUESTIONS, WE'RE HERE AFTER THE BOND FORUM TUNE, WE'LL HANG OUT AND TALK TO EVERYBODY WHO'S COME OUT HERE.
THE BOARD IN A SETTING LIKE THIS CAN'T ACTUALLY ANSWER QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN TELL THEM EVERYTHING, IT GETS ON THE RECORD.
BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS IN THIS SETTING.
WE WILL, THE ADMINISTRATORS WILL AFTER THE BOARD MEETING, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO STAY HERE AND TALK TO YOU AND KEEP THAT DIALOGUE GOING.
RIGHT BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, I WAS GOING TO GIVE DR. WRIGHT AND MAX AN OPPORTUNITY IF THEY WANTED TO SAY JUST A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROCESS.
>> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THIS PROCESS.
IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AS OF OUR LATEST DEMOGRAPHERS REPORT, WE'RE BUILDING 3,500 NEW HOMES CLOSING AROUND 2,200 PER YEAR.
I SUSPECT THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT 60,000 FUTURE LOTS ON THE HORIZON.
[00:10:02]
JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.WE NEED TO KEEP PACE SO THAT WE HAVE FACILITIES THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR OUR KIDS AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYONE, AND SO THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
IN THIS PROCESS WE'RE HERE, LIKE TIM SAID, TO LISTEN, TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME IT'S THE BEST FORM OF COMMUNICATION.
INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY, WE'RE TOTALLY AWARE THAT THIS IS YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOUR TAX DOLLARS, AND THESE ARE YOUR KIDS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LISTEN AND WE SUPPORT YOU.
THEN FOR THE BOARD, AFTER WE GO THROUGH TONIGHTS PUBLIC FORUM AND THURSDAY NIGHT'S PUBLIC FORUM AND WE REVIEW ALL OF THE COMMENTS ON OUR "BOND TALK" BUTTON.
OUR PLAN AS ADMINISTRATION IS TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU GUYS FOR THAT FEBRUARY 6 MEETING.
IN MY MIND, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PAIR DOWN THE PROJECTS TO THAT $365 MILLION THRESHOLD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TELLS US THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AS FAR AS VOLUME BASED ON OUR GROWTH.
I DON'T WANT TO OVERPROMISE AND UNDERDELIVER.
WE WANT TO BE CONSERVATIVE IN THAT APPROACH.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND ALL OF YOU THAT AREN'T IN THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD THAT THE PRICES HAVE REALLY ESCALATED DUE TO INFLATION, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, AND SUBCONTRACTORS ARE REALLY DRIVING IN THE MARKET NOW.
THE COST OF FACILITIES COMPARED TO FIVE YEARS AGO IS ALMOST DOUBLE BECAUSE OF THE MARKET.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MAX.
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT HERE.
MY NAME IS MAX CLEAVER, THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, AND I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAS THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT GOING ON THE WEBSITE, THERE'S FBOC FACILITIES AND BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WEBSITE.
WE HAVE DATA ALL THE WAY BACK TO SEPTEMBER OF 2014, SO WE TRY TO BE TRANSPARENT, WE TRY TO GIVE YOU ALL THE DATA WE HAVE.
EVEN TONIGHT WHEN YOU GIVE DATA, WE EXPECT FEEDBACK.
WE'RE GETTING FEEDBACK AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT PLEASE GO TO THAT WEBSITE.
THEN ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT, PLEASE LOOK AT OUR 10-YEAR PLAN BECAUSE WE HAVE A 10-YEAR PLAN THAT OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING NOW DOESN'T LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO LATER.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND OUR COMMITTEE REALLY CHALLENGED ME THIS YEAR TO LOOK AT THAT DATA AND DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THE FINANCES TO SEE WHERE WE HAD SOME HIGH SPOTS AND SOME LOW SPOTS ON OUR FINANCES.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND LET US KNOW IF THERE'S GAPS IN THAT DATA.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT YOU'RE NOT FINDING AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE JESSICA BEDWELL, SHE'S THE FBOC CHAIR AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A LONG TIME TOGETHER TO BRING THIS FORWARD. SO, JESSICA. THANK YOU.
>> THEY'VE PRETTY WELL COVERED A LOT OF THE GENERAL PROCESS FOR THE BOND PROPOSALS, BUT I DID WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE DOES.
I AM JESSICA BEDWELL, CURRENTLY I CHAIR THE FBOC THAT'S FACILITIES AND BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE SEEN EXPONENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH IN OUR AREA AND THAT RATE IS GOING TO CONTINUE FOR YEARS TO COME.
THAT MAKES IT NECESSARY FOR US TO USE BONDS TO BUILD FACILITIES.
THAT INCLUDES CLASSROOMS, BUT ALSO OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, FINE ARTS, AND ATHLETICS.
OUR COMMITTEE RELIES ON DISTRICT DIRECTORS THAT OVERSEE ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS AND THEY PROVIDE LISTS OF NEEDS TO US.
THEY'VE SPENT TIME MEETING WITH CAMPUS STAFF, DIRECTORS, COACHES, AND THEN TOGETHER WE ARE TRYING TO PLAN OUT THE PROGRAM NEEDS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO DO [NOISE] A 10-YEAR PLAN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO STICK TO THAT.
WE TAKE THEIR PROPOSALS AND WE MATCH THEM WITH REPORTS FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHER AND OUR FINANCIAL STAFF TO EVALUATE OUR BOND CAPACITY AND PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S AN ENDLESS LIST OF NEEDS AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR THERE TO BE AN ENDLESS POT OF MONEY TO GO WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
[00:15:01]
WE'RE ALL CITIZENS APPOINTED BY OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND SO WE ARE THE FIRST LEVEL OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND A LOT OF US HAVE KIDS IN THE DISTRICT SO WE CAN GIVE SOME FEEDBACK ON THINGS WE SEE.THEN WE GIVE A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO APPEAR ON THE BOND.
THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY GIVE YOU GUYS A CHANCE AT MEETINGS LIKE THIS TO ALSO GIVE SOME FEEDBACK.
ONGOING OUR COMMITTEE WORKS ON THIS LONG-TERM PLAN.
AS THINGS CHANGE AS WE GET NEW INFORMATION FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHERS OR LATELY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT INCREASE IN BUILDING COSTS, SO WE HAVE TO ADJUST THAT LONG-TERM PLAN WITH ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
THEN THE OTHER HALF OF WHAT WE DO TO ASSURE TAXPAYERS THAT ARE CONCERNED IS THAT WE ACTUALLY OVERSEE THE SPENDING OF THE BOND'S MONEY.
OUR ROLE DOESN'T END WHEN THE PROPOSAL IS MADE AND THE BONDS HAPPEN, THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF WHAT WE DO AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF WHAT WE DO IS OVERSEE AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY GETS SPENT AS IT WAS INTENDED.
I'M SURE THAT [LAUGHTER] THE DISTRICT STAFF THAT WE WORK WITH WILL AGREE, BUT WE GIVE THEM A HARD TIME SOMETIMES.
BUT THAT'S OUR JOB IS TO OVERSEE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR NEEDS.
FINALLY, I DID WANT TO MENTION WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE SPACE ON THE COMMITTEE.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IF THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU LIKE TO DIG INTO AND WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME HELPING US OUT, CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND THEIR SPACE ON THE COMMITTEE SO YOU CAN HELP US OUT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, TIM SAVOY, DR. WRIGHT, MAX CLEAVER. ANYTHING ELSE? TIM? WELL, THIS IS THE EXCITING PART WHERE WE GET TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
[C. PUBLIC FORUM]
I'LL JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS HERE THAT IF YOU WANTED TO SPEAK TONIGHT, YOU NEEDED TO FILL ONE OF THESE OUT.WE ACTUALLY ONLY HAVE THREE SPEAKERS TONIGHT AND WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE AUDIO AND VIDEO IS RECORDED AS PART OF THE ENTIRE RECORDING OF THE MEETING AND IT'S PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE WITHOUT ALTERATION.
ANYONE SPEAKING TONIGHT IS CONSENTING TO THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF YOUR COMMENTS.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND FOLKS, IT FEELS WEIRD, BUT IT'S NOT A DIALOGUE.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE ARE THINKING OF QUESTIONS IN OUR HEAD.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT IF YOU GET THIS FACE, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE YOU OR WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT BY POLICY WE CANNOT.
YOU TALK AT US, WE'RE LISTENING.
PEOPLE ONLINE ARE LISTENING AND THIS IS BEING RECORDED SO WE CAN HEAR IT LATER AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT REMINDER.
PEOPLE GET CONFUSED. MY FIRST SPEAKER IS MARTIN JOULE.
>> ALSO WE HAVE 10 MINUTES THEN?
>> YEAH. I'M GIVING EVERYONE 10 MINUTES BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE THREE SPEAKERS.
>> WELL, I'M OVER HERE TRYING TO GRIND THIS OUT.
>> MAKE SURE YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE MICROPHONE, THOUGH IT IS HARD TO HEAR AND THAT'S NOT THE BEST MIC, JUST GET REAL CLOSE TO IT.
I'VE BEEN POSTING ON THE INTERNET ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, TRYING TO STIR UP SOME INTEREST HERE BECAUSE I SEE SOME SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH THE WAY THAT THE BOND IS SPREAD OUT.
I HEAR THAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT THIS 10-YEAR PLAN.
BUT THE REALITY IS NEXT YEAR, THERE'S GOING TO BE FIRES TO BE PUT OUT THAT WHATEVER THE NEXT BOND PROPOSAL IS THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PRIORITY.
IT HAPPENS TO US AS HOMEOWNERS.
I HOPE WE PLANNED ON THIS, BUT NOW WE GOT TO REPLACE THAT.
REALLY WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW AS IT'S WRITTEN, $423 MILLION, $97.7 MILLION IS BEING SPENT ON THE LEHMAN CAMPUS, $91 MILLION IS SPENT ON THE JOHNSON CAMPUS, AND ONLY $34 MILLION IS BEING SPENT ON THE HAYS CAMPUS.
NOW FROM A VOTER OR A TAXPAYER STANCE, MY TAXES ARE GOING TO GO UP EQUALLY TO THE OTHER ZONES, THE LEHMAN ZONE AND THE JOHNSON ZONE.
BUT YET THE STUDENTS AND AS FAR AS PROPERTY VALUES IS CONCERNED,
[00:20:03]
ALL OF THESE NICER THINGS ARE BEING PUT, THE INVESTMENT IS BEING PUT OVER ON THOSE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE DESIRABILITY OF HAYS HIGH SCHOOL AS A PROSPECTIVE HOMEBUYER IN HAYS COUNTY.WHEN THEY PICK AND CHOOSE, THAT'S GOING TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE HAYS HIGH SCHOOL ZONE.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ON 10-YEAR PLAN, THERE HAS TO BE A LEVEL OF BALANCE HERE.
THAT IS CRITICAL, NOT ONLY FROM US AS THE TAXPAYER, BUT IN THE SHORT-TERM BENEFIT OF THE STUDENTS THAT GO TO EACH ONE OF THESE CAMPUSES.
WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ALL THIS MONEY ON TWO CAMPUSES AND THEN IN THE THIRD CAMPUS, YOU ALL GET IT NEXT YEAR.
EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, WHETHER YOU CHANGE ANYTHING OR NOT, NOT GOING TO IMPACT MY KIDS.
I'M NOT HERE AS A SPECIAL INTERESTS FIGHTING FOR MY KIDS, I'M FIGHTING FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN.
THE BIG HAYS COUNTY WE'RE ALL ONE COMMUNITY.
BUT IN PARTICULAR, MY NEIGHBORS AND MY NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORS.
I'VE GOT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHAT'S IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS OF US IN [INAUDIBLE] GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU'RE SPENDING THREE TIMES AS MUCH ON THE OTHER CAMPUSES, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR HOME VALUES AND THE ATTRACTABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FEED INTO HAYS.
THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IS THERE AND DR. WRIGHT SAID 60,000 LOTS IS THE NUMBER HE QUOTED AND SO I'VE BEEN DIGGING THROUGH THIS A LOT.
THE REALITY IS THAT WHEN I BROKE DOWN IT'S Q1 22 DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT, THERE'S 57,000 LOTS.
IN THAT REPORT, THERE ARE FUTURE LOTS.
IN THAT REPORT, IT LISTS HOW EACH ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WERE IMPACTED, BUT IT DIDN'T GO ANY FURTHER HOW THAT IMPACTS THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS OR THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
I TOOK THAT INFORMATION, TOOK THE ZONING MAPS, AND I BROKE IT APART BY HIGH SCHOOLS.
HOW MANY LOTS ARE IN THAT HIGH SCHOOL ZONE? HERE'S WHAT I CAME UP WITH, 50.2 PERCENT OF THE FUTURE LOTS IN THAT REPORT ARE IN HAYS DISTRICT OR IN THE HAYS ZONE, 40.8 PERCENT OF FUTURE LOTS BASED ON THAT REPORT GO INTO LEHMAN AND NINE PERCENT GO INTO JOHNSON.
JOHNSON HAD TREMENDOUS GROWTH.
YES, WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT SCHOOL.
I GET THAT BUT WE'RE THE FUTURE GROWTH IS BASED ON THE MAP AND WE'RE ALL THE YELLOWS AND GREENS ARE ON THAT MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THE SUBDIVISIONS ARE DEVELOPING, THAT'S WHERE THE GROWTH IS BREAKING OUT TO.
NOW NEXT YEAR, I'M SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IS GOING TO ALTER THAT BUT AS THAT REPORT STANDS, THE GROWTH IS COMING TO HAYS HIGH SCHOOL AND YET THE INVESTMENT ISN'T.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
GROWTH IS THE ISSUE EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT, OH MY GOD, WE HAVE TO GROW, WE HAVE TO BUILD, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THESE STUDENTS.
WHAT ARE WE SPENDING OUR MONEY ON? $48 MILLION ON A NEW PACK CENTER AT LEHMAN.
IT'S A PACK CENTER I KNOW YOU ALL LABELED IT AUDITORIUM AND THERE'S TWO CLASSROOMS ATTACHED TO IT BUT IT'S REALLY A PACK CENTER.
FROM A STUDENT'S SPACE STANDPOINT, THAT'S NOT IMPACTING, THAT'S $48 MILLION.
IT COSTS $122 MILLION TO BUILD AN ENTIRE JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $48 MILLION.
HOW MANY EXTRA CLASSROOM SEATS DOES THAT PROVIDE OTHER THAN THOSE TWO CLASSROOMS? 52 MILLION IS GOING TO COVERED PRACTICE FIELD PAVILIONS, ONE FOR EACH CAMPUS.
THAT BREAKS OUT TO ABOUT $17 MILLION A PIECE.
NICE TO HAVE, AWESOME BUT IS IT A NEED TO HAVE AND HOW DOES THAT PAVILION IMPACT THE FUTURE NEEDS? IT REALLY DOESN'T FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
FOR GENERATIONS, FOOTBALL BAND EVERYONE HAS HAD TO PRACTICE IN UNCOVERED, SOMETIMES IN INCLEMENT WEATHER AS LONG AS THERE WASN'T LIGHTNING, $51 MILLION, 17 MILLION A PIECE.
[00:25:02]
I JUST SAW AN ARTICLE FIVE DAYS AGO.THE COSTCO THAT'S COMING IN HERE, THAT'S 161,000 SQUARE FEET IS COST 15.1 OR $15.2 MILLION TO BUILD AND WE'RE SPENDING $17 MILLION ON A 61,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.
HOW DOES THAT EVEN COME AND IT'S NOT EVEN COSTCO MIND YOU IS COMPLETELY COVERED.
IT'S AN ENCLOSED BUILDING AND WE'RE SPENDING 17 MILLION ON THAT.
HAYS NEEDS ONE. MY SON WAS IN FOOTBALL LAST YEAR. THEY DO NEED ONE.
JOHNSON THEIR WEIGHT ROOM IS ONLY WHAT, FOUR YEARS OLD BUT WERE ALLOTTING $9 MILLION EACH, I'M ASSUMING BECAUSE IT'S A $29 MILLION PACKAGE.
HOW MUCH DOES THAT INCREASE? WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS THE NEEDS OF THIS DISTRICT AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT AREN'T BEING ADDRESSED.
THE SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL FIELD TURF. NICE TO HAVE.
YEAH, I'M A PARENT IT'S NOT GOING TO IMPACT MY KIDS, BUT IT IMPACTS WHERE MY KIDS ARE CURRENTLY.
FOR EXAMPLE, LET ME GIVE YOU AN ITEM THAT'S NOT EVEN BEING ADDRESSED.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS BUILT AND HOW LONG IT'S BEEN THERE.
BUT TYPICALLY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF YOU GO MEASURE, WE HAVE THE SMALLEST DANCE STUDIO OUT OF THE THREE CAMPUSES AND YET WE PROBABLY HAVE THE LARGEST VARSITY DANCE TEAM.
THEY ARE PRACTICING RIGHT NOW TO WHERE THEY HAVE TO MARK THEIR DANCES WHEN IT'S A FULL VARSITY SQUAD THAT'S OUT ON THE STUDIO.
THEY'RE A LITTLE STUDIO FLOOR.
THEY CAN'T FOOL OUT PRACTICE THEIR PERFORMANCES BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER AND THEY'RE GOING TO EITHER HIT EACH OTHER, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO TRIP, FALL, CAUSE INJURY, KICK SOMEBODY, THOSE THINGS.
THEY CAN'T EVEN PRACTICE BUT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $17 MILLION ON A COVER PAVILION, WHEN WE COULD APPLY THAT MONEY AND ACTUALLY ADDRESS SPACE CONCERNS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVING AND THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GROWTH.
THAT'S HERE NOW TODAY BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN A TOPIC THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE NEED AND NOT WHAT WE WANT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF NICE TO HAVES ON THIS LIST.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE REAL QUICK BECAUSE I ONLY GOT ABOUT 45 SECONDS LEFT.
MY KIDS ARE IN ADVANCED ENGLISH.
THAT TEACHER DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH BOOKS TO PROVIDE THOSE KIDS. WE HAD TO GO BUY.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BUT THE ROW WISE, YOU COULD ONLY CHECK THE BOOK OUT AND YOU COULD ONLY KEEP IT FOR TWO DAYS AT A TIME SO THAT EVERYONE COULD CHECK IT OUT AND GET THEIR BOOKS READ.
SO WE WENT ON AMAZON AND WE BOUGHT EACH OF OUR KIDS ONE OF THESE BOOKS SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO OUT CHECK IT OUT FOR TWO DAYS AND READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SITUATION.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT THIS DISTRICT NEEDS AND THEY'RE NOT BEING ADDRESSED AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING OUR TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY ON. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. JEWEL, APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE CARLY, AND CARLY, IF YOU'LL PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME FOR US, THAT'D BE GREAT. SAY IT AGAIN.
>> YOZHOU THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE SAID IT RIGHT. YOZHOU.
>> YOZHOU, YES MA'AM AND I ACTUALLY, WE BOTH FILLED OUT A CARD. I HAVE.
>> ARE YOU BOTH GOING TO SPEAKING IT WAS WEEK TOGETHER?
>> CAN WE ACTUALLY DO IT TOGETHER? THEY'RE BOTH FOR THE SAME REQUEST TIED INTO THE SAME BUILDING I THINK IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU.
>> I'M ALLOWED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A PACKAGE SO YOU CAN SEE THE INFORMATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>> FOR VISUALS, WE'RE PASSING AROUND THE SOME PACKETS, SO EVERY.
>> YOU ARE MICHAEL YOZHOU? PERFECT. I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE RELATED IN SOME WAY.
>> I'M MICHAEL YARGEAU. I'M AN AUTO TEACHER AT LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL.
I DO LIVE IN COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I'M ALSO THE DOT REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL AND THE AUTOMOTIVE BOC REP. OUR BIG CONCERN IS REALLY JUST,
[00:30:03]
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, FROM EVERYWHERE IS GROWTH.AT LEHMAN, WE HAVE AN AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM THAT'S IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, AND WE'VE ALREADY GROWN TO 272 STUDENTS.
NEXT YEAR PROJECTIONS BASED ON PASS FAIL RATES, RETENTION RATES, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 348 STUDENTS FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED FOUR FULL-TIME AUTO TEACHERS.
WE'RE ALSO ADDING A DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM WITH ACC, WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GRADUATE WITH A LEVEL I CERTIFICATE FROM LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'LL PROBABLY ADD EVEN MORE TO THAT GROWTH TO BE HONEST.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS WE HAVE ONE CLASSROOM FOR AUTOMOTIVE.
RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE ON THAT SECOND PAGE WE ACTUALLY HAVE PICTURES OF THE AUTO SHOP.
ONE OF THE BASE HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO A CLASSROOM WITH FOLDING TABLES SIMPLY SO WE CAN FIT TWO CLASSES AT A TIME IN THERE, AND THE A THIRD TEACHERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CAMPUS IN JUST A RANDOM CLASSROOM THAT WAS EMPTY.
IF WE HAVE FOUR TEACHERS NEXT YEAR, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THEM AT LEAST IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
TWO OF THEM FOR THE ADVANCED LEVEL CLASSES IDEALLY WOULD BE ATTACHED TO ONE OF THE AUTO BASE SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE THEM GO RIGHT OUT INTO THE SHOP FROM THE CLASSROOM.
THAT'S HOW IT'S SET UP BOTH AT HAYS AND JOHNSON.
THE CLASSROOM THERE NOW IT'S ATTACHED THE AUTO AREA, BUT IT'S OFF OF THE HALLWAY.
IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE, YOU'VE SEEN IT.
SO YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE BEHIND OR MAKING UP FROM BEING OUT.
IN THE CLASSROOMS, THEY'LL BE SUPERVISED WHILE YOU'RE IN THE SHOP.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN ALSO THAT SHOP SETUP WITH THE CLASSROOM IN THERE IS THE SHOP DOESN'T HAVE ANY HVAC.
AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, APRIL, MAY, THE WEATHER IN TEXAS, THAT SHOP IN THE AFTERNOON CLASSES IS OVER 100 DEGREES.
LIKE THIS YEAR WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE CLASS THAT MEETS FOR 3 HOURS EVERY AFTERNOON IN THERE.
WHEN IT'S 100 DEGREES, THEY'RE STUCK IN HIGH DEGREE WEATHERS FOR THREE HOURS SITTING IN THOSE TABLES.
THEN COLD WEATHER LIKE TODAY, THIS MORNING THAT SHOP WAS 48 DEGREES WHEN I GOT THERE THIS MORNING.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO BE USED AS A CLASSROOM.
AS A SHOP, WE UNDERSTAND HVAC ISN'T IN EVERY AUTO SHOP IN THE WORLD TO HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT WORKING IN A SHOP SETUP.
BUT AS A CLASSROOM SETUP, THERE'S JUST NOT A GOOD SETUP FOR LEARNING.
SO OUR GOAL IS REALLY JUST TO TRY AND ADD CLASSROOM SPACE.
WE HAD TALKED WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND SUZI MITCHELL ABOUT SOME POSSIBILITIES.
ON THAT FRONT PAGE WE HAVE THE BASIC LAYOUT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER TALKING ABOUT JUST WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE.
ADDRESSING AT THE SAME TIME, THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN THAT WE REALLY SEE ON LEHMAN, IS THE FACT THAT CONNECTING THAT CTE BUILDING TO THE MAIN BUILDING IS JUST BASICALLY A FENCE WALKWAY.
WE SEE ALL DAY LONG KIDS JUMPING THAT FENCE, KIDS LETTING PEOPLE INTO THAT GATE.
REALLY TALKING TO MS. GRACCHI, THAT'S REALLY OUR BIGGEST CONCERN OF SAFETY.
OUR IDEAL PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO EXTEND THE HALLWAY OFF THAT ATHLETIC HALLWAY AND CONNECT THE BUILDINGS SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAFETY LIABILITY ANYMORE.
THEN OFF THAT HALLWAY, ATTACH CLASSROOMS. ESSENTIALLY, THE IDEAL WORLD, WE'D HAVE THREE MORE AUTO CLASSROOMS SO THAT ALL FOUR AUTO TEACHERS WOULD HAVE A CLASSROOM SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO SHARE SPACE AND COORDINATE A SCHEDULE, OR SOMETIMES IN THE SHOP, SOMETIMES IN THE CLASSROOM, OR SOMETIMES YOU'RE SQUISHED TOGETHER.
THEN SHE CAN SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE OTHER FLORAL CLASSROOM THAT'S ON THERE BUT WE HAVE A FLORAL CLASSROOM THAT'S MEETING WITH CLASS SECTIONS OF 36, 37 KIDS.
THE CURRENT CLASSROOM IS JUST TOO SMALL FOR HANDS-ON CLASSROOM.
IDEALLY, WE'D WANT TO ADD A CLASSROOM FOR THAT AS WELL THAT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE THE SPACE TO APPROPRIATELY TEACH ALL THE TEACH RELATED WITH THAT CLASS AS WELL.
THEN ANOTHER CONCERN THAT CAME FROM OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WAS THE FACT THAT CTE BUILDING HAS ONE BATHROOM FOR GIRLS AND BOYS AND EACH ONE JUST HAS ONE STALL.
IF THERE IS A CLASS PASSING PERIOD, THERE'S NO STAFF BATHROOM.
THERE'S BEEN CONCERNS OF STAFF AND STUDENTS SHARING THAT ONE BATHROOM IN THAT BUILDING IN THAT PASSING PERIOD BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER BATHROOMS WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE WALK OF GETTING THERE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERNS OF THE FUTURE ADDING A BATHROOM, SO THEY'LL BE A SEPARATE STAFF AND STUDENT AREA, SO THEY'RE NOT SHARING AT THE SAME TIME, JUST FOR LIABILITY REASONS.
THEN THE OUTDOOR AREA, I THINK BRIAN, YOU CAME BY AND SAW IT, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO USE SOME OF THE SPACE WE DO HAVE.
WE HAVE A LARGE PARKING AREA OUTSIDE THE BASE.
IF WE COULD AT LEAST PUT SOME TYPE OF COVERING OVER THAT THAT CAN BE USED FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE BASE AS WELL.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S EVEN JUST THE SUN OUT IN WARM WEATHER, IT'S TOO WARM OR IF THERE'S RAIN OR ANYTHING LIKE TODAY, YOU CAN'T USE THAT SPACE AT ALL.
IF WE COULD PUT AT LEAST SOME TYPE OF OVERHANG TO COVER THAT, WE COULD AT LEAST EXTEND THE HANDS-ON AREA AS WELL AS WE GROW.
I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BRING IT UP TO SAY THAT I WOULD ALSO BE A SAFETY RISK SO THEY'D LIKE TO IDEALLY AND CLOSE IT WITH BRICK AND MORTAR WALLS AS OPPOSED TO JUST AN OVERHANG, BUT SOMETHING TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH AS WE KEEP GOING BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT THE FUTURE, BUT REALLY THIS IS ALREADY A CURRENT NEED.
WE'RE JUST OUT OF SPACE, ALREADY.
WE GREW FASTER THAN EVERYBODY EXPECTED.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS FOR THAT IN THE FUTURE.
THEN I SHOWED YOU SOME NUMBERS ON THE SECOND PAGE, JUST THE PROJECTIONS ON THE POPULATION NUMBERS FOR THE CLASSES.
THEN I PUT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THERE AS WELL.
BUT REALLY WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR SPACE FOR THOSE STUDENTS BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST DESIRED PROGRAMS AND I WANT TO TRY AND KEEP IT THAT WAY.
[00:35:05]
>> AGAIN, I'M CARLY YARGEAU AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING CTE IN GENERAL.
I AM IN THE CTE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AT LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL.
ALSO SPECIFICALLY AGRICULTURE, I'M THE CLUSTER LEAD FOR THAT GROUP AS WELL.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE HAD THIS NEED FOR QUITE AWHILE NOW I'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT FOR NINE YEARS.
THE HORTICULTURE AND PLANT SCIENCE PATHWAY IS ALSO ONE OF THE ADD-ONS THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THAT PICTURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
CURRENTLY, AS HE SAID, WE HAVE UP TO 35 OR 36 STUDENTS PER SECTION IN FLORAL DESIGN, WHICH IS ONE CLASS IN OUR HORTICULTURE AND PLANT SCIENCE PATHWAY.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE SPACE.
IT'S A VERY SMALL CLASSROOM AND THESE KIDS ARE PART OF THE CLASS, IS TO DO HANDS-ON LABS AND ACTIVITIES AND TO CREATE THESE ARRANGEMENTS.
THEY ALSO LACK A WALK-IN COOLER TO HAVE SUFFICIENT SUPPLY STORAGE FOR THOSE LIVE FLOWER MATERIALS.
THIS IS A CLASS THAT IS TYPICALLY BOOMING.
STUDENTS ARE OFTEN GETTING INTO THIS PROGRAM TO GET THEIR CREDIT OUTSIDE OF ART AND FIND A BAND AND THEATER.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE OTHER CLASSES IN THE PATHWAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SO PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES, A GENERAL HORTICULTURE CLASS, THE FLORAL DESIGN AND ADVANCED FLORAL DESIGN, VITICULTURE, WHICH IS NEW THIS YEAR AND ADVANCED PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE, WHICH IS A CLASS THAT WE ALSO OFFER AS A FOURTH YEAR SCIENCE CREDIT.
WE DO HAVE A FULL COMPREHENSIVE PLANT SCIENCE PATHWAY THAT WE OFFER TO OUR STUDENTS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE FACILITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE TEACHING THOSE PEAKS PROPERLY.
TYPICALLY, A SCHOOL WOULD OFFER A GREENHOUSE TO LOOK AT PLANT PROPAGATION AND GROWTH OF THOSE, AND I WILL TELL YOU I'M A VET SCIENCE PERSON, SO I'M STRUGGLING WITH THE HORTICULTURE STUFF.
BUT THE GOAL IS TO TEACH THESE CONCEPTS IN CLASS.
AGRICULTURE IS WHAT SUSTAINS US.
WE FEED OUR WORLD AND OUR COMMUNITY WITH WHAT WE PRODUCE IN AGRICULTURE AND I THINK IT'S OUR JOB TO TEACH THESE KIDS SO THAT THESE ARE THE ONES MAKING THE ADVANCEMENTS IN THE FIELD AND DOING SOMETHING TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
I KNOW HE TALKED ABOUT THE SAFETY A LITTLE BIT WITH THESE CLASSROOMS, SO I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THAT PART.
BUT THE SIMPLE REQUEST THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR JUST BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES BUILDING THESE BUILDINGS, WE WANT TO KEEP COST AT A MINIMUM AND SO WE WERE THINKING THAT WITH THE NEEDED SPACE THAT WE HAVE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE CLASSROOMS AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE PLANT SCIENCE PATHWAY, IF YOU DO THESE RENOVATIONS TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME, IT TYPICALLY ENDS UP BEING A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER THAN DOING ONE PROJECT AND THEN COMING BACK AND DOING ANOTHER PROJECT AND TEARING PARTS OUT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR JUST A GENERAL GOOD SIZE CLASSROOM.
BUT IT IS THAT CLASSROOM SPACE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR AMPLE STORAGE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM LIKE JUST A SEPARATE CLOSET AND A WALK-IN COOLER.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, THERE ARE SOME EXISTING CONCRETE AREA THAT WE COULD PUT IT ON IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT WATER HOOKUPS.
AGAIN, NOTHING FANCY, JUST FUNCTIONAL.
WE WANT TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO TEACH THESE KIDS WHAT THEY NEED FOR THESE CLASSES. THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENING.
>> MADAM PRESIDENT, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
AGAIN I'LL JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE'LL HANG OUT IF ANYONE WANTED TO TALK SOME MORE.
>> VERY GOOD POINT. WE'LL HANG AROUND FOR A LITTLE BIT IF YOU WANT TO CHAT.
OTHERWISE THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
IT'S 6:42 P.M.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.